‘Waste not, want not.’ Stroud Brewery has found an interesting way of applying this phrase, which is keeping some pigs, and their owners, happy at the same time.
The brewery takes a sustainable approach to waste management and is now supplying some of its spent malt to Thrupp Community Pig Club.
The used malt is a brewing by-product which also provides nutritious feed for the animals and a way for Stroud Brewery to reduce its waste and continue its community involvement.
Located in Thrupp, Gloucestershire, Charlea Gardens is home to three Gloucester Old Spot pigs. As piglets, they were bought by the club from a local farmer and taken to their secure and spacious paddock.
They are looked after for roughly six months by eight families, who have purchased either a quarter or a half of a pig and who share care duties. This involves feeding the pigs and topping up their mud bath twice a day. It’s an opportunity for families to keep and look after the animals which will later provide them with a plentiful supply of pork products.
For the pigs, the used malt is a source of fibre and protein. For the owners it is a helpful way for them to manage the costs that come with purchasing pig nuts, which make up a significant proportion of the rest of their diet.
“Malt’s an essential ingredient in beer making, so there’s a lot of spent malt at the end of brewing,” said Stroud Brewery managing director, Greg Pilley.
“But this still contains a lot of nutrients and goodness, so we don’t want it to go to waste. Fortunately, there’s little risk of that as there are many local farmers who want it to feed their livestock.
“However, it’s great being able to donate some of it to help a community project just up the road from the brewery, and enable people to take part in their local food cycle. This is just one of a number of ways that breweries ‘recycle’ their spent malt.”